I decided to purchase some British Pounds (GBP). The best exchange rates I have seen are about 1.45 dollars (USD) to 1 GBP (£), but that was not available at the airport (I paid about 1.66). The physical size of the notes gets larger as the value increases, which is interesting if you ever say the movie about Ray Charles, where he requested all payment in 1's so he knew exactly how much he was paid.
I got to the gate with plenty of time to send a few emails. I did my typical inquiry about an exit row seat, but they were all taken (and all others as well). The airplane was a Boeing 767-400ER, which has a capacity of 246 passengers with 2-3-2 seating. With two aisles, over half the seats were aisle seats, including mine. I sat next to a couple from Phoenix; they were traveling to London an Paris with their three children seated in front of us. A somewhat nutritious dinner and breakfast was served. I watched the latest Die Hard movie after needing my in-seat display rebooted (interestingly it was running linix). A flight attendant gave me a tavel reading light during the flight after she saw me struggling with my flashlight. We circled the city a bit before landing, so we were about 15 minutes late. My flight was uneventful. There was only minor turbulence. Given recent aviation news, that is a good thing!
After a long walk through a windowless corridor, I arrived in customs. A travel form was distributed on the flight that was needed for entry. Insufficient space was given for my travels, so I left that blank. The customs official was very friendly and helpful. He was impressed with my very British pronunciation of Bournemouth. After that I picked up my suitcase.
I went to the travel information desk to see about travel and cell phone access. I purchased a pay-as-you-go SIM card which cost £10 and required £10 additional for minutes, texts, and data. I went with Vodaphone because they will also work in The Netherlands. Before leaving, I verified that my phone is unlocked and work work in this manner. Not all US phones will work in Europe, as the US uses a different network (CDMA) from Europe (GSM). When I purchased my phone I made sure I got one that would work on Europe. After activating the card, I made a call home. It was nice to talk to Amy from such a long distance! Amy is planning on doing the same and it will be good to be able to communicate with one another during our stay. So I have a new cell number, but the best way to contact me is via email.
I then inquired about the coach (bus) to Bournemouth. There is a ticket agent outside the terminal. Again, this person was very helpful. I arranged a ticket to Bournemouth on the coach that just arrived. I also have a ticket to London on Saturday morning. The ride was nice and about half full after picking up other passengers at the next terminal. After leaving the airport area, we got on a nice freeway with three lanes in each direction. I am glad I am not driving. It is a bit weird traveling on the wrong side of the road, especially with all the traffic and round-abouts. We had one scheduled stop along the way in Ringwood. The countryside is very similar to south-central Michigan. Lots of trees and small farms. It is a beautiful day here: cloudless blue skies and in the 70s. About 5 miles from Bournemouth traffic ground to a dead stop, where we waited for about 30 minutes for emergency crews to respond to a car fire.
The walk from the bus station to the hotel was about 10 block. After getting to my hotel, I too a nap for about an hour. I was pretty tired after the past few days. I felt refreshed and decided to walk around town and see some sights. My hotel is just a few blocks from the beach. However, there is a pretty high, steep "cliff" with a sandy beach below. There are only a few access areas, including the East CLiff Zig Zag. It looked fun to visit the beach, so I zigged and zagged down and walked along the shore. There were lots of people having fun in the sun. After the beached I walked into town for a refreshment. I found a cute little pub called the Goat & Tricycle, so I stopped in for a pint. I then walked back toward the hotel and had dinner a a nice Indian restaurant. The naan bread and chutneys were very tasty. I also had a spicy prawn dish that was good. I am back at the hotel.
Looking along the shore towards the Isle of Wight.
A sculpture along the cliff.
You wish you were here!
Yours truly.
Beach huts.
Beach nuts!
The Goat & Tricycle.
A park in town.
A church entrance near my hotel.
Seagulls are a common sight.
An MGBGT in the parking lot.
My hotel.
There is free and fast internet, but only in the lobby. Luckily there is a lively lounge singer yodeling to me and a large geriatric crowd in the lobby to help me compose this post. I think I am the youngest person staying here. After working on this post I am off to bed. The first conference begins tomorrow and I want to be rested and ready for a busy day.
No comments:
Post a Comment